Ink-cleaning device for flat-bed cylinder printing presses



B. J. HILL 1,770,695

Filed Nov. 22. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 15, 1930.

INK CLEANING DEVICE FOR FLAT BED CYLINDER PRINTING PRESSES July 15, 1930. J, 1,770,695

INK CLEANING DEVICE FOR FLAT BED CYLINDER PRINTING PRESSES Filed Nov. 22. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 15, 19.30

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PATENX watt- BOARDMAN JiI-IILL, or nns Mon es, IOWA INK-CLEANING DEVICE FOR FLAT-BED CYLINDER ZERIN'IING PRESSES Application filed November 22, 1826. Serial No. 150,( 23.

In connection withthe use of so-called flat bed cylinder printing presses it has heretofore been necessary for the operator at'fre- 'quent intervals to remove all of the ink dis- 1 s tributing rollsand theforminking rolls and clean them by hand with gasoline or the like,

and when said rolls are removed toalso clean up the ink distributing plate by hand. This tion of the printing press and without the rej V moval of of the rolls from the printing bressj My invention consists in theconstruction,

arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects con- 1 templated are, attained, as. hereinaftermore vfully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in.

which: 7 r

Figure 1 shows a vertical, central, longitudinal, sectional view of a portion of a flat bed cylinder printing press of ordinary construction, having my improvement applied thereto. I V -Figure 2 shows a detail View illustrating the device for moving the scraper into and out of contact withthe ink distributing plate.

In this figure the scraper is shown out of contact with the ink distributing plate.

Figure 3 shows an enlarged, detail, sectional view illustrating the springactuated pin for holding the mechanism'which actuates the scraper toward and from the plate into either operative or inoperative position, tak-. en on the line 3-3oi Figure 4.

Figure 4 shows an enlarged, detail, side view of the jointed rod for imparting motion to the scraper actuating mechanism,

Figure 5 shows an enla-rged,'detail, Vertical, sectional view illustrating the-ink re-.

ceiving trough and showing the scraper in.

position projected down into the troughwi-th the ink cleaning blade of the trough in position for removing the ink from the scraper.

Figure 6 shows a somewhat similar view illustrating the scraper in contact with the ink distributing plate adjacent to the ink receptacle; and 7 I Figure 7 shows a detail perspective view il lustrating the manner in which the ink receiving trough and scraper cleaning device is detachably and pivotally connected to the ink distributing plate. 7 I

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the referencenumeral 10 to indicate generally theirame of the printing press. i

.Slidingly mounted upon this frame is a type fornibed 11 connected with the ink distribut mg plate 12. The sliding movement is usually ei'iected 1n pressesoi' this kind by means'of .a rack l3applied to the form bed and ink distributing plate, and in mesh with a cog wheel 14: to which an alternating rotary motion is applied in the ordinary manner} At one end of the press there is usually provided an ink receptacle 15 in which there is mounted an ink distributing ,roller 16, which is ro-, tated during the operation of the press.

In presses of this kind there is also usually provided an ink carrying roll 17 mounted on a bell crank lever-18 connected to a rod 19 which in turn is reciprocated by a part of the operating mechanism oi the printing press in any ordinary manner not specifically shown herein. This ink carrying roll 17 moves from position in contact with the roll 16 to position in contact with the ink distri-buting plate.

Presses of this kind are also usually provided with a series of ink distributing rollers, usually arranged in groups of three, there being two soft surfaced rollers 20 in contact withthe ink distributing plate, and a hard surfaced roller 21 contacting with the two soft surfaced rollers of the group.

In presses of this kind there is usually supplied a series of form inking rollers similar s in character and arrangement with the ink distributing rollers, the soft surfaced rollers being indicated by thenumeral 22 and the contactinghardsurfacedroller by the numeral 23, the soft surfaced rolls being in position i i 5 enter said recesses. This bolt 1s provided wi "flinch 35 at its outer end, and a coil to be enga ed at times by the flat ink distributing p te, and at other times to transwit the ink thereon to the type forms.

All of the parts previously described are 5 of common construction and of themselves form no part of my present invention, and have them herein illustrated and described to shbw the manner in which my invention is applied to an ordinary flat bed cylinder m printing press.

My improvement comprises a rock shaft 24 mounted in suitable hearings in the frame 10 above the ink distributing plate. Fixed to the shaft 24 is an upwardly extended arm 25 to which is attached a contractile coil 0 across the'printing press for the 'full' width of the ink distributin plate. This scraper is preferably made of exible material such as rubber. a

QAt one end of the shaft 24 is a lever 29 ex- 25 tended downwardly, and Pimted to the lower end of the lever 29 is a rod 30 having its lower end at 31 formed hollow to slidingly receive a the upper end ofa rod 32. For the purpose for adjustably fixing the relative positions of 1311688 rods 30 and 32, I have provided in the 31 two tapered recesses 33 spaced apart each other illustrated in Fi ures 2 and and mounted in the rod mem er 32 is a aetuatedbolt 34 with a tapered end you is provided for normally holding lilie lldlt'i'nwardly. In use with this device whthlit is'dsired to remove the bolt 34 from i mf i'inbof the recesses 33 and put it in the other one,-the operator sim ly grasps the knob 35-- .and pulls it outwar ly against the spring pressure and then slides the rod member 32 to position where the slide bolt will enter the 5 opposite one of the recesses 33.

'5 0n the lower end of the rod 32 is a guide I fork member 37 which receives a shaft 38 j which is constantly rotated during the operation of the printing press in any ordinary 0 manner. Fixed to this shaft 38 is a cam 39,

and fixed to the rod 32 is a roller 40 in position to be engaged by said cam. During the operation of the ink removing device. the

slide bolt 34 is placed in'the lower one of the s recesses 33 and when in this position, the cam will engage the roller 40, the cfi'ect of which 18 that when the ink distributing plate is moving toward the left, asshown in Figure 1,

i the scraper 28 will be elevated above and held .10 in an elevated position above and out of contact with the ink distributing plate and the type form, and upon movement of the ink" distributin plate in the opposite direction, and when t e ink distributing plate is moved as to position directly below the scraper, as

may

shown in Figure 1, then the scraper is moved downwardly into contact with the ink distributing plate and firmly held in such contact by the operation of the cam 39 until the ink distributing plate passes beneath the scraper.

For the purpose of collecting the ink removed from the press, I preferably provide atthe outer end of the distributing plate a combinedink receiving trough and scraper cleaner. This device comprises essentially a trough shaped body portion 41 detachably and pivotally tixed in position below the outer end of the ink distributing plate by means of pivot pins 42 at its sides connected to the ing distributing plate,'and slots 43 formed in the sides of the ink receiving trough 41 and extended upwardly and through which bolts44 are extended and seated in theink distributing plate. In this connection it is obvious that when the bolt 44 is loosened, the trough may be swung downwardly so that itmay be cleaned out, and then it the bolts 44am removed, the trough may be bodily removed. At the outer end of the inkfreceiving trough I have extended the outer margin of the trough upwardly and then inwardly toward the ink distributing plate, forming an ink cleaning blade 45, the upper edge of which is substantially flush with the surface of the ink distributin r plate.

to T- operation of this part of the as follows i i In-Figure 6 the scraper 28 is shown in position in contact with the ink distributing plate, and the latteris shown nearing the end Ofdts movement into the body of the rioting press, and a quantity of ink is shown eingscraped from the ink distributing plate evice is to position wherc'it will fall into the ink receiving trough. In Figure 5 the position of the parts is shown after the ink distributing plate has moved a small distance to the left, and when in this position, the flexible lower end of the scraper has moved down into the ink receiving trough and the edge thereof. against which the ink was piled, is shown in contact with the ink cleaning blade.- Obviously a slight additional movement of the ing distributing plate shown in Figure 5 to the left will cause the ink to be cleaned from the scraper and deposited into the trough.

In ractice it is obvious that my attachment applied to printing presses now in common use without the necessity of altering or changing any of the operative parts thereof, and may be sold and applied as an attachment with obvious advantages.

After an operation of printing has been completed, and it is desired to wash up the press, the operator moves the rod 32 to position where its roller 40 will contact with the cam 39. Then upon each reciprocation of the ink distributing plate, the flexible scraper will engage the plate and scrape the ink fromit into the trough where the blade itself will be cleaned. Then on the next re- 'ciprocation of the ink distributing plate, all

ot-the ink distributing rollers will deposit on the ink distributing plate a portion of the ink contained upon their "surfaces, and the portion thus deposited will again be removed by the scraperironi the ink distributing plate upon the next reciprocation.

During this washing up process it is compound such for instance as gasoline.

After the press has thus been operated for a period of from three to live minutes, substantially all of the ink has been removed from the flat ink dis ributing plate, and all of the ink distributing rollers, to such an extent" at least that in practice I have vfound that after using-black ink and then washing up the press in the manner described, I can apply, say for instance, yellow ink and operate the press'in printing yellow color without any traces or the black ink appearing in the finished work.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a printingpress having :a fiat ink distributing plate and a series of ink distributing and torn) inking rollers, or" a flexible scraper above the flat ink distributing plate, means tor moving the scraper into engagement-with the flat ink distributing plate during the movement of said plate in one direction and elevating said scraper out of engagement with said ink distributing plate during the movement or" the latter in the opposite direction, a trough shaped ink receptacle attached to one end of the ink distributing plate in position to receive ink scraped from the said plate and of such size as to permit the flexible scraper to move downwardly'into the trough after the end of the ink distributing plate passes the scraper, the side of the trough opposite from the adjacent edgeof the ink distributing plate being formed into a blade to engage the side of the scraper and remove ink therefrom and discharge it into the trough, means for pivoting the trough in, position so it may swing downwardly away from the ink distributing plate, and means for detachably securing the trough in its elevated position.

2. The combination with a printing press 7 having a flat ink distributing plate and a securing the rod ineither of two positions, one

position permitting the cam to operate the rod and the other position holding the rod out of engagement withthe cam. sometimes desirable toapply to the ink dis- 1 tributing plate anink thinning or dissolving 3. The combination with a printingspress having a fiat ink distributing plate and a series of ink distributing and form inking rollers, of a scraper above the flat ink distributing plate, and'means for automatically moving the scraper into engagement with the flatink distributing plate during the move ment of said plate in one direction and elevating said scraper out of engagement with said ink distributing plate during the mo ve-r. ment of the latter in the opposite direction, said means comprising a pivotal support for the scraper, an arm fixed to the scraper, arod pivoted to the arm, a rotatable cam to engage l; A device for removing the ink tron the ink distributing plate and the ink distributing rollers of a flat bed cylinder printing press, comprising a flat ink distributing plate, a'series of ink distributing and form inking rollers, a flexible cleaner mounted on a stationary support and extended across the ink distributing plate from side to side, means for moving the scraper into engagement with the fiat ink distributing plate during the movement of said plate in one direction and;

elevating said cleaner out of engagement with said ink distributing plate during themovementnot the latter in the opposite direction, means i for holding said flexible cleaner against the surface of the ink distributing plate under pressure to bend the same, said cleaner being disposed at an angle relative to the plate and inclined upwardly from the plate and in a direction toward which the plateis traveling when the cleaner is in engagement with it, and a trough shaped ink receptacle attached to one end of the ink distributing plate in position to receive ink scraped from the plate, a blade arranged at the side of the trough opposite the end of the plate with its upper edge substantially flush with the top of the inkdistributing plate, and the width of the trough being such that as the flexible cleaner passes over the trough it will swing down into the trough, and then when it enga s the blade it will scrape the ink from a arger portion of the cleaner would be possible if the cleaner did not mote downwardly into the ink trough. c N5 vbriThe combination with a printing press "having a flat ink distributing plate and a of ink distributing and form inking esellers, of afiexible cleaner blade mounted ahove the flat ink distributing plate (and extended across the plate, means for moving the cleaner blade into engagement. with the flat inkdistributing plate during the movement. of said plate in one direction and elemtingsaid cleaner blade out of enga ement with said ink distributing plate during the movement of the latter in the opposite direction, means for holding the cleaner blade the top surface of the ink distributing t te under pressure at an angle extending a wardly and in a direction toward that in w ich the ink distributing plate is moving when the cleaner is in contact with it, and a blado do! removing the ink from the cleaner, said blade being spaced beyond the rear of 15 the inkdistributing plate with its top edge substantially in line with the top of the ink distributing late, and whereby the elasticity of the flexib e cleaner blade will cause it to move to position to firmly engage the scraper blade and remove the ink from the flexible '"nleaner bladeas it passes beyond the scraper blade.

to one end of the ink distributing plate in po sition to receive ink from the plate and a blade at the side of the trough opposite the end of said plate with its upper edge substantially flush with the to of the ink distributing plate, said cleaner eing adapted to move into the ink receptacle and engage said late to remove ink from the cleaner as the b ade moves under the same.

Des Moines, Iowa, November 20, 1926.

BOARDMAN J. HILL.

* =6r A device for removing ink from the ink distributing late and the ink distributing 1 3 rollers of'a at bed cylinder printing press,

eomprisin a fiat ink distributing plate, a moment ink distributing and form inking rollers, a flexible cleaner mounted on a stationary support and extending acrossthe ink i 40 distributing plate, said cleaner being disposed at an angle relative to the plate and inclined upwardly from the plate and in a direction toward which the plate is traveling when the cleaner is in engagement with it, means for ll movm the cleaner into engagement with the flat i distributing plate under pressure to bend the same and during the movement of a said late in one direction, means for movin the cleaner out of engagement with the ink distributing date during the movement of the latter in t 1e opposite direction, a trough shaped ink receptacle attached to one end of the distributing plate in position to receive ink scraped from the plate, and a blade arranged at the side of the trough oppo-.

site the end of the plate with its upper edge substantially flush with the top of the ink distributing plate, the width of the trough bein such that as the flexible cleaner passes over the trou h it will swing downwardly into the trough and firmly and yieldably engrge said scraper blade to remove the ink om the lower portion of said cleaner. 7. A device for removing ink from the ink as distributing plate and the ink distributing 

